Since 1984, the workforce at Alstom Power's (formerly BBC in Mannheim GmbH ABB) constantly forced to deal with demands for concessions in the wake of downsizing and restructuring of the company. Lastly, the council had agreed Betriebsvereinbarung 2003 by short-and shorter working hours and thus achieved a halving of the originally planned removal of 700 of the then 2000 employees. But in March 2005 showed that the contract was not worth the paper on which he stood. Alstom was again removed 900 of the 2000 supposedly "safe" places. However, BR and staff could come up with something. Inter alia They took the time to thoroughly discuss the situation - on a five-day staff meeting.
Anton Kobel said, with Udo Belz, Chairman of Alstom in Mannheim, about this unconventional in a conventional industrial sector, about the background of the potential threat of Alstom and the perspectives of resistance. The following is a summary of the conversation.
Hardly any other staff has also conducted over the past 20 years - the strikes in bargaining rounds - as many workers' struggles for their jobs as the Alstom Power in Mannheim. On 18 March 2005 it was time again. The European Works Council has been led by the Paris Group new restructuring plans for the Mannheim facility submitted. Accordingly, 900 of the currently 2,000 jobs to be destroyed. This should be achieved through the closure of major departments and works in Mannheim. Thus important features and capabilities had been eliminated, without which then in subsequent years, most of the remaining jobs is also befit the time being in 1100 for destruction. In the medium term, the Group for Mannheim the whereabouts of still aiming for about 400 employees in a "local customer service office" - to take orders from German customers and to complete the "financial support from German taxpayers' money (KfW, Hermes) for export projects."
This announcement mobilized the battle-experienced staff - but the council had, after months of violent clashes in November 2003 secured by works agreement for the balance of interests with a detailed drawing of all the features and capabilities need to preserve the 2,000 jobs. The Executive Committee had also committed by an individual commitment to each employee, up to 30 June 2007 to forego compulsory redundancies.
The charter of the works was 2003 is that of the then 2200 jobs, not as planned, 700, but only 350 should be eliminated. In fact there were even then only about 200 - without layoffs, but through retirement.
The need for operational maintenance of important functions was enforced by the short-time council. The council wanted "these many years' hibernation period in order to survive the current weakness in order to build power stations.
As part of the power plant in Mannheim, was originally designed for 5-6000 employees, would be a further reduction below 2000 make it impossible for the worker has a cover fixed costs and thus mean the end of any ability to compete. With 1100 employees - of which about 400 were active in the worldwide service - make no further power plant in Mannheim (gas, coal or a combination of the two) more. In such a workforce would be missing too many skills.
In many business meetings, meetings of the IGM-stewards and the works council, the info sheets, etc. were all employees of the above Context clearly become. Council and staff had to and must enforce the 'rationality of their operations "against the group management. Only then will the jobs be preserved. Accordingly profound is the regular employees to participate in the actions.
Struggle and forms of struggle in 2005
Following the announcement in March, destroying about 900 jobs, there were numerous strikes and demonstrations. The anger of workers because of the planned by the Executive Committee of the breach of promises by November 2003 and renewed resolve to defend the jobs found in the spring culminating in a five-day (!) Annual Meeting. Of 25 to 29 April 2005 discussed the staff of their situation. Daily were followed-up at every meeting demonstrations in the center of town, which contributed a large proportion of the workforce.
This is despite the management wanted to prohibit the operation of the Assembly Labor. On 29 April had the works council, the meeting adjourned to resume it later. In court, it then came to a compromise: The meeting ended on 29 April, and the council could take place on 30 May for a further, additional staff meeting under § 43 WCA invite [1].
The re-operation meeting then took place even on that day from 9 am until 14.30 clock clock. According to a report of the BR-chairman Udo Belz and followed by discussion of the staff there was a demonstration in the inner city of Mannheim, in which Alstom also delegations from other companies, including from Berlin, Stuttgart and Kassel, involved and had called for the joint works council and IG Metall.
On the following day the group loaded one-BR to alternative news conference in Mannheim, after it had been held on the morning of the same day the Executive Committee in Paris, a financial press. The Group-BR explained at that meeting that Alstom in Germany for years making profits.
Also in Mannheim from 2002 to 2004 approximately 325 million euro profit was made (!), Although the arithmetic skills of the Executive Committee had shown for first time in 2004 a decrease of 0.8 million euros. In fact they were in 2004 at an increase of tens of million euros. Thanks to the profitability of German companies Alstom, this group after the second-largest financier of the banks of the Group. In Paris intra-group cash pool - almost an internal bank - are currently over one billion euros from the German group. The Mannheim plant has contributed to good third, despite short-and underutilized.
Also this knowledge makes employees angry and strong. On 11 July 2005 calling on shop stewards and works councils in Mannheim 'appeal - resistance to globalization and job losses "(see below) workforce and trade unions to take energetic action. "Who fights, can also celebrate," the slogan of a party for the families and friends on 22 July 2005. Only five days later inspired the Alstom-BR-chairman Udo Belz hundreds of workers from the Mannheim retail in central strike rally. He clarified the reasons for the decisive battle at Alstom and its significance for the regional purchasing power.
The fight will take place at Alstom not only in operations but also in public. The BR takes every opportunity to portray this conflict and promote joint activities, whether on 1 May or at campaign events. Thus, the Assembly began operation on 26 September 2005 in the morning at nine clock during operation, and ended up 17 clock after a demonstration in downtown Mannheim. For Saturday, 15 October is the people and employees in the greater Mannheim called for a joint demonstration with another rally.
Unimpressed let the council, the absolute confidence in the workforce and the public enjoys a huge reputation, legal attempts by the management. This said in Mannheim in June in front of Labor, she wanted to do with the ban on the procedure for several days, staff meeting the essential prerequisites for impeachment proceedings against the council. The council countered in his public information: "This is ... obviously to break the resistance against the oppression of workers rights. It is believed that if this council can be eliminated could be implemented any measures to suppress the rights of workers in this simple operation. "The fact that the venture of Alstom's Executive Committee, the five-day staff meeting can not be declared admissible, was also legally difficult to sustain showed itself even in the period to the Labor Court pending resolution of the declaratory relief on 30 September had taken into account. A day before that date, Alstom has now withdrawn the application itself.
No struggle to sinking ship ...
Also currently showing at the Mannheim plant profits as its sales expectations a promising perspective. Global energy demand is expected in the near future huge contracts. In Germany alone, need to be replaced by 2020, older plants in the amount of about 60 large power plants. The Alstom-BR informed the politicians and the public that the extension of maturities for nuclear power plants in the conventional power plant jobs at risk. Conventional power plants have sustained a 2-3-fold effect on employment compared to nuclear power plants. From the big policy is urgently needed to support the investment required in energy production.
Due to the enormous capital requirements in the construction of power plants, state funding assistance have a high importance. According required by the federal government requirements to link the financial support of a direct effect on the local jobs. Without this, the group feared-BR, collect the Paris Group Executive Board as State financial support in Germany and then to forgive the group's own production plants elsewhere. The plans for redundancies in Mannheim were also justified with group plans that provide for a shift of production to China, India and Mexico.
When asked whether the employee Mannheim pointed to her struggle is not the creation of jobs and thus prevents wealth in less developed countries, Udo Belz out that such in Mexico, a metal worker earning six dollars a day and starvation wages in China 150 million migrant workers without work rights to trade unions and acceptable social standards. Chinese workers received 24 cents per hour from the U.S. company Nike. It is inhumane to try to be competitive for such a wage level, ultimately, this serves only the profit interests of the company, says Udo Belz. He also pointed out police operations in Poland against streikbereite metal workers: "It is not about increasing prosperity for the workers, but to the best conditions of exploitation. Money is plenty, it must only be distributed differently. We stand for an internationally coordinated struggle. Actually the world is turned upside down. Why should we be artificial competitors? "
... but in the monopoly of corporations
The Alstom Works also observe the market fixes the participating companies Alstom and Siemens. For the future of their jobs are also the world's intentions in relation to the construction of nuclear power plants significant. It involves a volume of 300-600 nuclear power plant at a cost of around two billion euros per reactor, therefore, a total of 600-1200 billion. In the French state company Areva and Siemens, as fellow competitors play a crucial role. They are the driving forces behind the shakeout and restructuring of corporations. "Who here has a monopoly, has ten percent return on sales in prospect." All this knowledge and experience to motivate the Mannheim to their diverse activities and lead to its "resistance" is our duty.
by Anton Kobel
Published in express, journal of socialist factory and trade union work, 9 / 05
(1) The WCA provides for a mandatory staff meeting per quarter and a third provides additional six-month period; editor's note
We refer to the report of the staff meeting in LabourNet special fighting job cuts at Alstom 2005